CHAPTER LII 



HASSEL SOUND AND KING CHRISTIAN LAND 



THE season was advancing rapidly, uncomfortable to men and 

 dogs, difficult for walking and for hauling sledges that stick 

 in slush much worse than they do in any soft snow of winter. 

 Most of the time we were fairly wading as we walked. On July 2nd 

 we landed on the west coast of Amund Ringnes Island and pro- 

 ceeded to follow it south. Bearings taker of the land ahead on 

 our side of the strait and also of conspicuous hills on the Ellef 

 Ringnes side, soon showed that the strait, obviously much wider 

 than the three miles indicated on the chart, is really in few if any 

 places less than fifteen miles wide. 



We had been having trouble with snowblindness continually 

 on account of the lack of amber-colored glasses. On landing in 

 Amund Ringnes Island we were all of us slightly touched and 

 Charlie was so seriously snowblind that we were delayed three 

 days. In a case as bad as his was the pain is extreme, equalling 

 the most severe earache and worse than toothache. 



In addition to the widening of Hassel Sound and the new deter- 

 mination of the coastline we were not able to learn a great deal 

 about Amund Ringnes Island. In some of the creek mouths I noted 

 pieces of coal float, showing that there are veins of coal inland 

 which can probably be easily found. This hint is of value to any 

 one who may winter there. We found traces of caribou but no in- 

 dication that they are numerous. 



Although it was midsummer, or rather because it was, Hassel 

 Sound proved rather disagreeable: 



"July 4: Charlie is much worse (with snowblindness), groan- 

 ing and in great pain. He could not eat anything till afternoon 

 but was a little better in the evening. The northerly gale slack- 

 ened to a strong breeze in the afternoon but increased to a gale 

 again in the evening. Snow squalls, and sun seldom visible, 



"So as not to risk my ankle, I sent Noice inland to hunt. Two 

 miles away he saw a cow and calf caribou, fired at them and 

 wounded the cow. He then chased them and they ran off. Too 



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